Once
by Brooke2Broch
Summary: It's karaoke night at the Rabbit Hole - Killian and Emma make a decision to stay and give it a go. The song is Falling Slowly from the movie Once. Look it up on youtube. :)


_"Karaoke Night at the Rabbit Hole: 6-9 PM"_

Killian and Emma had been walking arm in arm towards the front door, when he caught sight of the sign on the sidewalk.

_Bloody hell._

Two months ago - the night Zelena had cursed him - he sat perched on a stool at the end of the bar, quietly leaning over his cup of liquid anti-depressant. He had been deep in the throes of self-pity and regret, minding his own business, and making it crystal clear to the perky blonde bartender that _no, _he absolutely did _not_ want to "talk about it."

Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded from behind him, "Alright, ladies and gentleman! It's what you've all been waiting for. Karaoke night here at the Rabbit Hole. Who's up first? Don't be shy."

Killian cocked his head sideways and looked back, trying to work out who or what Kerry Oakie was. That's when he caught a glimpse of the corner of the room where a microphone was set up above a box that he had never seen the likes of before. A small television sat on a table nearby. _Perhaps she was an entertainer of sorts?_

He turned sideways on his stool and saw a young woman with long red hair and a floral sundress get up from a table full of giggling twenty-somethings and grab the microphone, laughing along with her friends and turning pink in the face. Then, without preamble, she began to sing into the microphone with a screechy high-pitched voice, "I threw a wish in the well. Don't ask me I'll never tell. I looked at you as it fell. And now you're in my way"

_Oh gods. Why me? Did that woman get paid to do this?_ He turned his head back around and tried desperately to return to his thoughts and his whiskey. After three insufferably loud songs, full of insipid lyrics that were sung by people who could barely hold a note, he recognized that this side-show act he had stumbled into was open to anyone who wanted to sing. He used the word "sing" loosely. Not able to bear the torture any longer, he tossed down a couple of twenties and pushed back from the bar.

"Emma. I have an idea. Rather than going to this establishment tonight, let's - just you and I - take a walk down by the docks? It's a lovely time of year. And no rain in sight. What say you?"

She let go of his arm and turned to face him. A drop of rain hit his forehead and rolled down his nose, just to spite him. She grinned, motioning to her white dress and back to his face. "Not sure a long walk in the rain is advisable for me. Did you happen to see what I have on under this?"

He raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to her, running his hand down the lapel of her tantalizingly short dress. There had been a lacy beige negligee on her bedside table this morning that had so driven him to distraction that he smacked into the bed post on his way out. "No Swan, I did not. Care to enlighten me?"

"Uh-uh. It's a surprise. But it won't be a surprise to you, or anyone else, for that matter, if I get soaked."

Another raindrop hit his face and he looked up, cursing the sky. He pulled her close, his hook wrapped around her back. "Or, we could just go back to your place and you can show me."

She pushed him back gently. "Didn't you say that we had been spending too much time in the room - that you wanted to get out of the house for one night? Besides, you owe me a re-match in darts. I don't know how, but I am convinced you cheated me last time."

Truth is, he _had_ cheated. He kept his face straight, so as not to give himself away, and reflected on how easy it had been to redirect her attention, nearly every time he threw his darts. All he had to do was bring up some possible overlooked detail in her latest police investigation and she looked up and away to think. Every time. It had given him the ability to step closer to the dartboard than perhaps the regulations allowed. But more to the point. This night _was_ his idea. Little did he realize he was going to have to be party to the debacle that this "karaoke night" was inevitably going to be. _Come now, man. You are a pirate. You have been tortured, beaten and nearly killed more times than you can count. This is nothing._

He breathed out, scratching his ear. "You are right. I did. Let's go, then, shall we?"

Killian offered Emma his arm, walked up to the door and ushered her through, with his hand on the small of her back.

She stopped dead in her tracks as soon as the inharmonious vocals of someone at the microphone hit them. "Oh." She said quietly. She must not have seen the sign.

Emma looked back at him with a questioning look. Clearly, she wasn't sold on the idea of staying at the Rabbit Hole either. But, they were here, and he intended to let her win a round of darts, so he nodded in response and guided her into the room. Off to the side, he found a small wooden table, pulled out a chair for her, and headed over to order a couple of glasses of ale from the bartender.

For a long while he talked with Emma, whispering and laughing periodically at the entertainment across the room. If he had to admit it, he was enjoying himself far more than he had expected.

"So, did you watch any of the movies I gave you, while I was out today? I have to know if you have watched 'Hook' yet."

Killian smiled lopsidedly. He recalled pulling that dvd out of the box and looking through the enclosed booklet in dismay. "Not yet. I saw the picture of the man who is meant to be me and…I couldn't watch that mess. I _mean._" His hand made a waggling motion down from his head to indicate long curly hair and he made a pinching motion over his head for a feather. Then he screwed up his face in disgust and shook his head.

Emma laughed, "You can set them straight someday."

"Aye. I believe I shall. But, no, I didn't watch that. I chose a movie called 'Once.' It was…interesting." He didn't mention that he actually quite liked it.

Her face cracked into a mischievous smile. "You liked it. You liked that movie. I knew you would. You're a sucker for hopeless romance, is what you are."

Killian's eyes got wide and he bent over closer to her. "Now don't you go saying things like that where people can hear you, Swan." Pushing her hair back from her face, he leaned in to her, brushing his lips against her cheek as he moved to whisper in her ear, "However, if you leave with me right now, lass, I would happily oblige you in sucking-"

She cut him off with a shove and a warning glace.

He ran his hook along the neckline of her dress. "Well, you catch my meaning, aye?"

Emma fondled his hook - the way she had with his past self all those weeks ago - eyeing him with a devious grin on her face. "You know what? Okay. Sure. I would love to take you up on that offer, on one condition."

"Aye?" he said, raising his glass to his lips.

"That you sing me a song."

Whatever he expected her to say, it wasn't that. He coughed down his last sip of beer and looked at her in the eyes to gauge if she was entirely serious. She raised an eyebrow and kept smiling. He eyed the number of glasses on the table, wondering just how drunk she'd have to be to say that. Then, he exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he said.

"What?! Seriously? I didn't think you'd say yes."

"Oh no. I will do it. But I, too, have a condition."

"You want me to do that thing you like with my tongue on your-" She whispered the rest in his ear. His breath caught and he felt the blood rush to his lower extremity. If he was about to get up in front of this bar and sing, he needed to think of something, anything, other than what she had just said. _Granny's lunch special. With that mush on the plate that he couldn't decide was a condiment or a side dish. And the tan-grey slab of what she called meatloaf._ He breathed out. The throbbing in his jeans had subsided. Worked every time.

"Well, aye. I would like that. In fact. Hold that thought. That's not what I want…at this moment." He knew that if he asked her to join him, she'd say no, and he wouldn't have to sing at all. "I want you to do it with me."

Her eyes widened. "Me? I mean, I haven't sung publicly. Ever."

"Just focus on me when you're up there. You will do fine." Why the hell was he trying to convince her? Perhaps _he_ was the one who had had too much to drink.

A look of resolve crossed her face and she nodded. Wait. What? He did not expect that. Well. If she could do it, he could. It was all or nothing. He stood up and held out his hand. He could see she was nervous, but she was doing a good job of feigning excitement about the prospect of singing in front of all these people.

She said, "So what do you have in mind? Captain and Tennille?"

"Captain who? No. Whoever that is. No. I do, however, have something in mind. Emma." He squeezed her hand as they approached the microphone.

Killian stepped over to the manager and whispered in her ear. She smiled widely at him and leaned down to put in his selection.

As the first notes of the guitar spilled out of the speakers, his heart skipped a beat. He saw Emma's head snap up and she looked at him meaningfully. He hadn't been able to stop thinking of Emma when he had heard the song earlier, hitting rewind at least five times, in order to catch all of the words. And now, here they were. Emma nodded at him, holding his hand.

He sang, soft and low at first - watching the look of shock on Emma's face when she realized he actually could carry a tune. "I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that."

Emma's voice met his on the third line, crystal clear and in perfect harmony, as he knew it would. He had heard her sing a million lullabies to Neal in the last few weeks. "Words fall through me and always fool me and I can't react."

He had to steel himself to continue singing as the beauty of her voice nearly took his breath away, "And games that never amount to more than they're meant will play themselves out."

The words came to him without looking at the screen as he looked directly into her green eyes and joined her in song, "Take this sinking boat and point it home. We've still got time. Raise your hopeful voice. You have a choice. You'll make it now."

"Falling slowly, eyes that know me and I can't go back. Moods that take me and erase me and I'm painted black."

Killian sang with a heart full of emotion over lyrics that he meant for Emma, "You have suffered enough and warred with yourself. It's time that you won."

With an unshed tear in her eye, she joined him, "Take this sinking boat and point it home. We've still got time. Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice. You've made it now. Falling slowly sing your melody. I'll sing along."

For a split second, there was only silence, and the charged air between the two of them.

Then, the bar erupted in raucous applause. He had been so lost in Emma's eyes that he had forgotten where they were. And now, as he looked around the room, everyone else's eyes were on _them_, and they were clapping, yelling and hollering animatedly. When he turned back to Emma, he found her staring at him, smiling knowingly and nodding at him. He nodded back, mouthing, I love you.

They each took a bow, grinning, and he put his arm around her, walking towards the door. He knew her well enough to know that what they sang back there had opened her up, laid her feelings bare in a way that he knew would frighten her more than a little bit. So, he would take her home and make her whole, as he always did.

And as they stepped out into the street, ready to make a dash for her apartment, she turned to him, with rain washing over her face and kissed him. As she pulled away, she whispered in his ear, "I love you too."

The end.


End file.
